I finally found you
by Crying Ivy
Summary: Edward, the leader of his Vampire coven, stumbles upon a young and orphaned Bella. Immediately he realizes that she’s his mate, but what’s a vampire to do when his mate is only five years old?
1. After all these years

**Prologue**

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She was a scrawny little thing, wet and trembling as she huddled underneath the narrow amount of shelter that the run down cabin provided. Dressed in nothing but a torn and soiled summer dress, her face covered in dirt with bits of leaves in her hair, the tiny girl crouched down low to the ground and drew herself into the nearest corner as she buried her face in her hands and cried.

'_What is it?'_ someone asked, catching my attention. I shot a glance at the two hunters that came along with me, their faces and body etched in red from our previous chase.

'_Nothing_,' I answered, signaling them to leave. _'Leave me be._'

They hesitated, of course, as all loyal servants do, but with a nod of my head I dismissed them.

'_Go home and take care of the women and children,_' I ordered, glancing at the full moon. This was both mine and **theirs'** most favorite time to hunt. _'I am in no need of protection_.'

I watched as they gave each other questioning glances, reading the hesitance on their faces and the confusion in their minds as they slowly began to walk off towards the trees. They kept glancing back at me, like as if they're waiting for something to happen…they're not scared about whether something might kill me, as I doubt that there is anything remotely strong enough to do so in these woods, but rather they're scared of what I might do – about what I might become.

'_I'll be fine.'_ I assured them again, _'Tell the other's I'll be home soon._'

And with that they took off, disappearing in the blink of an eye as they entered the forest. I listened to the sound of their footprints pressing into the soft dirt for about a mile and could still smell the stench of animal blood on their bodies for far longer than that before I closed my eyes completely and allowed the noises of the woods to calm me. To any regular person camping in the forest tonight, all they would be able to hear was the slight rustling of the leaves or the soft calling of the wind before shaking their heads and writing it off as a trick of eye…but to those like me, we know better.

We know that playing off slight noises as a "trick of the eye" could equal instant death, especially during the full moon.

I inhaled deeply, letting the warm night air lick my skin and the soft drizzle of rain wash away all the grime and dirt I had accumulated earlier from hunting. My body felt full but unsatiated, as was the common symptom of drinking animal blood instead of human. I wanted to puke from the amount of blood I had consumed today – animal blood was considerably less nutritious than humans in regards to strength and power. I had to drink three times as much animal blood in order to get the same equivalent in human, and each time my body reacted strongly against it.

But I would endure this. I **must** endure this, for the sake of my people.

_Crack!_

The burst of thunder awoke me from my trance and I became all too aware of the young girl still huddling but twenty feet away from me. Being a creature of the night, I used the darkness to hide myself from her eyes, crouching low on a tree branch as I observed her.

She was young – about five or six in age and about three or four in appearance. She looked like she had been well taken care of before…before whatever had happened that left her abandoned and alone. I felt an unmistakenable tug from deep within me and quickly squelched it down.

Damn animal blood. The cougars hadn't been up to par this year, as the changing seasons usually affect their diet.

I found myself entranced with the child…curious and yet concerned about her well being.

This is absurd. I've seen plenty of humans before – I live among them every day! What is it about this girl that makes her so interesting? _Why was I so interested?_

And what was she doing so close to the territory? Humans usually steered clear of this place, thanks to the cleverly placed rumors of wild wolves and bears and even the more adventurous stragglers stayed about a few miles away…but what was a small child doing here?

And _why again was I so __interested__?_

I watched silently for a few more minutes before realizing that I had been there for a full hour, doing nothing but watching this small scrap of a girl. By then she had gotten tired of crying and chose instead to lay down on the dusty floor of the cabin, her head resting upon her arms as she fell asleep, her rosy cheeks stained with tears.

I jumped down from my perch, straightening up immediately and thought about how lucky and glad I was not to be plagued by leg cramps or any other problems that human tend to be prone to.

Silently, I crept towards her, feeling weird and yet giddy at the same time. I wanted to wipe off the tears from her face and shelter her from all the pain she must be feeling. I wanted to…wait, what did I just say? Was _The Great Edward Cullen feeling…giddy?_ I wondered how my enemies would react to this.

'_This is bad.' _I told myself. _'This girl is human, nonetheless a small child. Surely, there must be someone out there looking for her._'

And yet I kept walking, like as if an invisible thread connecting me to her was being wound up...I was now five feet away from her.

'_I'll send a ranger out to get her.'_ I reassured myself. _'By this time tomorrow she'll be tucked in a warm bed, safe and sound as her mother reads her a bedtime story._'

I reached out a hand, brushing a lock of hair carefully away from her face and mused over how easily I could crush her bones with my fingers.

'_I'll wait until the ranger comes,_' I reasoned. _'It's dangerous out here…_'

And then she opened her big, blue eyes.

* * *

"Are you crazy?" Rosaline hissed, glaring at me with her hands on her hip. "Are you positively out of your mind? She's a human for heaven's sake!" Her face was red and livid, a stark contrast with her white-gold hair as she quickly glanced at the ceiling towards the direction of my room.

"Are you questioning me?" I looked her straight in the eyes and watched as she shuddered slightly before glancing away. Rosaline slowly backed up towards the fireplace, her head, bowed slightly in acquiesce. I could feel a strange course of anger flow through me as I thought about what she had said about the child.

"Relax, Edward." Jasper said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I could feel his power come into affect as Rosalie's breathing slowed and her fear disappeared. "She is merely concerned about the safety of our coven."

"Do you think I'm so careless that I'd put my people in jeopardy?" I glanced around the room, looking for answers.

"Of course we wouldn't," Alice said, approaching me with her arms out wide. "Not intentionally, at least." She smiled to soften the blow.

"What are you implying?"

She sighed. "You've been distant lately, Edward. And this outburst is not like you."

"Yea, Edward, what's with you?" My brother Emmett asked, putting a protective arm around his wife. "You didn't have to do that to Rose!"

"What are you implying?" I asked again. "Do you think I've turned?"

Silence answered me as I watched the main members of the coven – Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosaline, Carlisle, and Esme – glance at me in hesitation. Never before had they seen me so adamant about something, nonetheless someone. Never before had they seen me so angry.

I shot Emmet a warning look. "Emmett, you're my brother and I love you but don't you or your wife ever question me again. I will not have anyone harm her!"

"Might I ask why?" Carlisle, the most sensible one out the group, asked cautiously. At another time I might have been insulted that he considered me uncontrollable of my emotions, but at the moment I found myself agreeing with his careful approach. "Why this human child, Edward? I admit I sense something different in her, but not enough to risk exposing our family."

"She isn't a threat." I downed my glass of whisky, reaching for more. "And I have not turned."

"But you're not acting like yourself." Alice said again. "Edward, tell us what's wrong…maybe we can help."

"I told you Alice, I haven't turned." I said again, annoyed that she kept reverting back to that. "Perhaps I've been distant because of the recent threats directed towards our coven?"

"What else is she suppose to assume, Edward?" Esme defended. "You're our leader, the oldest and strongest out of the group and yet you haven't found your mate yet!"

"All I ask is that you believe in me," I said. "As your leader, you should know that I'm not a fledgling who cannot control his emotions. I've stuck it out this long, what makes you think that I'll change now?"

"The full moon…"

"Has always been the best time for me to recuperate my strength and hunt, nothing more."

"We're just worried," Emmett clapped a hand on my back. "We don't need any more trouble; there's a rumor going around that the undeads are rising in numbers and that they're organizing an army."

"How is that possible?" Alice asked. "They can't control their hunger, nonetheless think methodically."

"Someone's controlling them." We all turned to Carlisle with wondering eyes. "Someone like us."

"A turned vampire?" Esme bit her lip and clutched onto her husband's arm.

He nodded. "Possibly, you know they can't control their emotions and will bite anyone they come in contact with…" he trailed off as everyone turned towards me.

They waited for a response, watching me wearily as I sighed and defiantly stared back. I thought about the small bundle currently nestled in my bed and suddenly felt my heart tightening as a feeling of extreme protectiveness surged through me, leaving me shocked and gasping for breath.

"She's my mate."

* * *

**A/N: **(^^)**  
**

*waves meekly*

Hi everyone!! How do you like it so far? I'm new to the Twilight fanfiction world (hoorahh for vampires!!) so please be gentle with me!

Much appreciated if a Grammar Nazi could help me out, I suck majorly at that stuff. Also, characters will be out of character (OOC)!!

**This is all that I want you to assume:**

1. Edward and everyone else that is a vampire in Twilight is a vampire here.

2. Edward is the oldest and strongest out of all the vampires; he is also the leader.

3. Bella is not a vampire.

4. Vampires in this story are NOT like the vampires in Stephanie Meyer's story.

Thanks and please review!


	2. Locked away

**II**

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It was the fourth of July.

On this day, millions of Americans across the nation came together in a chorus of sunny day barbeques, brilliant fireworks, and masses of drunken stupors to celebrate the liberation and independence of the United States from Britain. The sun seemed particularly generous as it shone brightly and happily with a warm summer breeze as its companion, lulling all into a peaceful calm.

For the Vampire community, today was the day where all the various covens from around the world gathered to exchange ideas, offer political bribes, and establish partnerships with each other through the binding of their members.

In other words, today was the day where single vampires found their potential mates. Though it would seem like an enjoyable event forthcoming, the fact of the matter was that in recent years, matchmaking turned out to be more of a burden than a solution. Making more problems instead of forming friendships like it had originally been planned, there were actually a few who dreaded the event.

Like Edward.

Unfortunately, for the Vampire race, females were increasingly hard to come by and thus not ever male got a mate. And also because of the selectivity of their kind's type of mating – in which only one male will satisfy a female and vice versa – the gathering usually produced only a handful of successful bonds. The once hopeful symbol that the occasion represented now further drove the male of the race to desperation, flaunting the inevitable darkness in their faces as many ended up disappointed.

This year the event was at Edward's estate, particularly because he had the largest number of members and females.

"There are seven single females," Alice counted, rapidly checking off her list. "Two, Patricia and Mary, participated last year but were unable to find their mates. Three of them – Gwen, Blair, and Raye – have recently came of age this year and are ready to be introduced and the other two are too young to be involved."

"How old are they?"

"Mere fledglings; one of the girls is the daughter of Zacharias Peters and his wife Melinda, born twelve summers ago. The other girl was from our raid of the Undead's nest a few months ago – I would guess her age's around thirteen, although she has no recollection of it."

"Damn," Edward cursed. "That's even less than last year, how many single males are expected to show up?"

"Fifty-two."

He cursed again, wondering why the world had turned on his race. Not only was there a limited number of females, the ones who did mate and breed often suffered miscarriages or produced weak offspring's that rarely survived. The fledglings that usually made it past their first year were male, thus adding more to the problem.

"They're far too young to be introduced." He agreed.

"But we can't introduce only five females!" Emmett protested. "Any chance that we can get to help our race proliferate is vital, Zacharias has to understand."

Perhaps his race was cursed from the beginning. Perhaps the creator had meant to bring doom to their people, giving them immense power only to slip it out of their hands while they watched helplessly. All Vampiric men held a certain darkness in him which only their true mate could tame; this demon grew stronger with every passing day, and usually by their 100th year those who could not find their mate succumbed to the darkness within.

Edward was 984 years old when he finally found his mate.

To say it was a stroke of luck was putting it mildly; how exactly had he stayed sane this long? Even the strongest of their kind turned within a few months after hitting 100, their soul weak and saddened by overwhelming loneliness they felt every day as they changed from controlled and collected to bloodthirsty and deranged – most serial killings were done by these 'Undead' creatures who no longer could be categorized with their kind.

"Has Zacharias agreed to any of this?" Edward asked, glancing at Alice.

She sighed, blowing on the wisp of hair covering her eyes. "Of course he's not going to agree, she was the only surviving offspring out of the three Melinda had and is a female nonetheless. He knows the ways of a male."

"And he also knows that our kind is dying out," his brother shot back. "Zacharias pledged his loyalty to this coven when he joined, he should know that this is for the greater good."

"You can't possibly ask him to sacrifice his daughter." Alice snapped.

"Of course I'm not going to ask that – Edward is."

"I'm doing what?"

Emmett glanced at his brother, eyeing him determinedly. "Edward, the ranks of the Undead is getting stronger every day. We can't afford to lose any more men; any female that can save them from falling to the Undead is needed."

Edward nodded, weighing the words of his brother, "This is true."

Alice glared at him. "They're only thirteen, Edward –"

"I understand this," he said. "But the greater good of the coven does come first."

"Edward –"

"Allow them to participate," he proceeded. "If they do bond with any of the males, allow it to happen upon their word that they will wait until the girls have matured and come of age to take them." He smiled softly at his sister. "Any hope for our males is good enough to keep them from the darkness."

---

The estate grounds was littered with at least a hundred and fifty people of different nationalities, from the South East Asian Coven to the African Coven. All were shining brightly as they basked in the warm sunshine, already trying to form partnerships and deals with each other.

Yes, they were _shining_. Contrary to popular belief, Vampires do not turn into dust in sunlight. In fact, they rather enjoyed a nice, refreshing day outside in which they did not have to hide their special abilities.

Edward sighed distraughtly as he ran a hand through his hair.

_This is to sudden_, he thought, _too soon. Way __way__ too soon. _

Today was the first day that he would introduce Bella to the world. It had been two months since he had brought her to his home, and in that time period Edward had never left her side.

Not even once. She ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner with him and at night he would give her a bath, taking care to brush her hair and help her put on her pajamas. She slept in the same bed with him, snuggling into his side as Edward stayed awake into the night, watching his little mate and wondering how in the world he became so lucky.

Wondering how he had lived so long without her, for now he was at her beck and call. He would end friendships for her, start wars for her, _die_ for her.

Edward doted on her like a loving father, yet he had no doubts that when the time came his feelings would change to something more suitable for his mate.

But for now, the child remained a ball of energy in his life that kept him on his heels and always on the lookout for the unpredictable. She brought back a joy that had been missing for a long time and filled that empty gap in his soul that was previously occupied by the dark demons of his mind.

She kept him sane.

If anyone found his behavior odd, they never said anything. It became a frequent sight to the residence of the manor to see their leader and Prince chase after the small child, a smile permanently glued to his face as he joined in on silly games of Tag and Hide and Seek with the her.

Nor did his visitors say anything about the small girl coloring away in his den as they discussed business mergers and negotiations.

Everything just fell into place.

But Edward was a creature of habit. In all of his hundreds of years, he had learned that being too trustworthy was never a good thing.

He also learned that in the case of his kind, good things never lasted.

So during this time in his life, when the best thing in the world had happened to him – _he had found his mate!_ – Edward took it upon himself to be especially suspicious of everything around him.

And so he guarded Bella with the type of paranoia that only an overprotective father could bestow upon his daughter.

Except, of course, that he was a lethal, _I can rip out your throats with my pinky_, kind of father.

And dammit! He wanted Bella to himself. So many brats were out there roaming about, just itching to touch and take his mate.

Edward growled silently at the thought, trying to keep his anger in check as his eyes darted around to look for his sister Alice. It was only at her 'persuasion,' that he had even agreed to this outing.

"She's been locked up in the house for two months, Edward" she had said, picking the child up and placing her on her lap. "Children need social activity to learn and grow, you can't keep her in your room forever."

"Yes I can," he had stubbornly said. It was times like this that he wondered how in the world he became the older brother.

"Stop acting like a baby and introduce her to everyone during the event."

"Are you nuts?" he snapped, his anger boiling over as he thought about all the foreign _male_ intruders invading his ground. "They'll want to take her!"

"They know she's your mate," Alice said calmly, wrinkling her nose. "Your smell is all over her, in fact it's sort of overpowering if you ask me."

"Well I didn't." He said flippantly, eyes glued on Bella like as if she was doing the most interesting in the world (and not just picking her nose).

His sister laughed. "Touché, but even if she didn't smell like you, any Vampire can tell instantly that she's not one of us."

At this Edward sobered up, his eyes catching Alice. "I don't understand why," he said, voicing the same question that had been eating him up. "Why her? Why this child? I've never heard of a Vampire having a human mate."

"Well you're not just any old Vampire," she said as she stood up and handed Bella to her brother. Giving the child and her brother a quick kiss on the cheek, she bent over to pick up her purse before heading out.

Pausing at the door, she threw Edward a determined look.

"Bring her to the event." She said, closing the door.

---

And so here he was.

"Eddy!!" Bella wiggled impatiently in his arms, begging to be put down. "I want to go play!!"

Play? _Play?_ So innocent, darling, so innocent. _She thinks this is a party, _he thought bitterly, _she_ _thinks_ _this_ _is_ _something fun and exciting_.

"Now listen Bella," he said seriously, trying to catch her attention. "This isn't – Bella!" The five year old managed to somehow escape from his tight grip and was now running towards the grounds.

"Come back right now Bella!" He yelled after her, calling upon his speed as he ran ahead of her and blocked off the door.

"Eddy!" She whined, "I want to play!" She gave him a tearful pout that nearly made change his mind…nearly.

"Stop it Edward," Alice scolded, appearing at the top of the stairs. "You're acting like a deranged fledgling. If you would just stop panicking Bella wouldn't be so anxious."

She smiled at the child, caressing her cheeks lovingly.

Although everyone closest to him had already grown fond of the child – even Rosalie had managed to crack a smile at one of Bella's antics – Alice was the only other person he truly trusted with Bella.

"She and I will be great friends," she said confidently one day while cradling a sleeping Bella. "I can't wait until you grow up, little one." She said softly, brushing a torrent bang out of the way.

_I can't wait either_, Edward had thought, although he would enjoy every moment of her childhood. The day his mate understood the great power she had over him would be the day he would submit and yield to her every desire. He could not wait for her to finally acknowledge him as her mate, for in his heart he had already gave her everything.

"Alright," Edward growled, grabbing a hold of Bella's hand. "Let's get this over with."

---

The moment they walked out, all activities ceased.

Every head turned to watch the two as they made their way over to a nearby tree, the oldest, strongest vampire and his tiny mate. His hand was gripping hers gently but securely as he lead her over to their spot, taking care not to rush.

"That's Edward Cullen, isn't it?"

"Where? Oh my – it is him! The rumors are true, he's _gorgeous_!"

"I didn't know he had a daughter."

"He what? He has a _daughter_?"

"With who? I thought he was single –"

"Wait a minute…she isn't even a Vampire!"

Svetlana Leytner yawned politely as she watched the scene unfold, trying her hardest not to roll her eyes at the antics of the female vampires near her.

God. They had no chance – not when she was here, of course. She had come for one reason and one reason only: To bag Edward Cullen.

And boy did she want him. The rumors were _definitely_ true in describing his physical attributes, in fact they didn't do him an ounce of justice. The man was simply delicious and she couldn't help but lick her fangs as she thought about the night of wild, rough sex the two of them could make.

The more old fashion of their race might shake their heads at her audacity to forgo the traditional mating process but Svetlana didn't care. Finding your soul mate was a stupid thing that they couldn't afford in this time and age. Their race had to proliferate, and unfortunately she was the only one smart enough to think ahead.

But surely, _surely_ Edward was just as smart as she. She was certain he was – how else had he stayed sane without a mate for this long?

_He obviously doesn't believe in that crap anymore_, she thought smugly. _He knows about what's important_.

The both of them were perfect for each other, both smart and stunningly attractive. Svetlana wasn't the modest type that pretended to be ignorant about her looks; she was gorgeous, and she knew it. The long line of suitors that asked for her hand in marriage also knew it too.

Everything was simply perfect. At least they were.

She narrowed her eyes. _I didn't know he had a brat_.

Whatever. It was a minor complication that she could surpass, nothing to stress over.

_I'll just hire a nanny and keep it busy. _

That way she and Edward could spend time together.

She smiled. _Perfect_.

---

"Stay close to me." Edward said, keeping a firm hand on her shoulders. Already he could see members from the other covens approaching, wanting to express their gratitude and talk about business mergers.

Bella nodded, just eager to be outside. She obediently went over to the nearest patch of flowers, far enough to not hear all the boring grown up talk but close enough so that Edward didn't get mad. She sat down, inhaling the aroma as she picked some for her crown.

_Blue, pink, red! Pretty colors!_

"Hello!"

She looked up from her crown to see the cutest boy ever staring back at her. He had light, golden hair that framed his cherub face and sprinkle of freckles that covered his nose. He gave her a tentative smile, raising his hand in greeting.

"Hi," she said, smiling back. "Would you like to join me?" This was the first time that she had met someone her age and couldn't help but be excited by the fact.

Finally! A new friend.

He nodded yes, glad to find that she was a nice girl, and sat down, helping her pick some flowers.

"I'm Alec," he introduced, building up his courage. "I'm from the European Coven. You?"

"Coven?" she asked, confused. "What's that?"

"Eh? Aren't you a Vampire too?"

"Vampire?" she gave him another questioning look. "What's that?"

His eyes widened. "You don't know? You're joking…"

"Not with brats like you she doesn't." Edward suddenly growled, his dark shadow looming over the children. Picking Bella up, he shot a death glare at the boy, causing him to cry and cower on the floor.

"Stop it Eddy!!" Bella cried, kicking and screaming in his arms. "He did nothing!! Stop scaring him!!"

But Edward ignored it all and stormed inside with Bella on his hips, her small arms still pounding away at his chest as she cried and begged for him to put her down. He could only see red as he thought about what had transpired - another male had approached _his_ mate. He could feel his fangs protruding out of his mouth as he bit down hard on his lips to prevent himself from rushing outside and pounding the little brat to pieces.

_MINE. _The possessive demon inside him roared, urging him to grab his mate and lock her away from everyone else. She was so beautiful, so pure...

_Everyone wanted her_, the demon cooed, _Everyone wanted his precious gift._

He had to keep her away from them. She couldn't be let out, no one could be trusted.

He had to hide her.

Somewhere she can be safe.

And _his_.

* * *

**AN:**

Hullo loves! Sorry about the late update, I just finished up with exams and am now finally home! YAYYY.

Unfortunately this chapter is not edited (_at all_) which means grammatical errors are to be expected. I really do want an editor, but because of my unpredictable schedule I'm not sure when I'll be able to update. Sometimes I might do a chapter each week, sometimes none at all for a few months.

Sadly this is how it's going to be for a while, but rest assure this story will be finished. I'm on a writing rampage right now and am trying to write and go back and re-edit each chapter as I go. Criticism is highly encouraged, so please tell me about what I can improve upon!

Go on now, review!!


	3. From Sparrow

"Edward, that was extremely uncalled for! The boy was merely being polite!" His sister paced back and forth in front of the fire as she continued to yell at him. Edward sat at his desk, organizing his papers all the while his eyes followed her back and forth movement. They were both in his private study, a place that both siblings felt most at ease in throughout the whole house.

Years ago, Edward has purchased the house with the intention that only family members would be able to seek refuge and comfort there. But as the years passed and their people's numbers started to rapidly decrease, he had no choice but to house and protect the wounded, the lost, the weak and every Vampire who had no were else to go.

Eventually, what started out as a couple of refugees turned into a prosperous community whose sole purpose was to help others in similar situations. Not to say that his Coven consisted of only rejects, but there was a fair amount of members with dark pasts living within the confines of the house.

Perhaps it was because the main family, particularly the Master of the Coven, had demons living in their own past.

The two siblings continued to stare at each other, dark eyes clashing with dark eyes, mirror images of each other as they tried to intimidate one another.

"_Funny_," Edward thought, _"Only Alice would be brave enough to reprimand me."_

Even Emmett knew where the line was drawn. But little Alice – seemingly innocent because of her small stature and normally good nature – never backed down.

That was the reason why he respected her opinion so much.

It was also the reason why they both frequented the room, mainly to battle with words and see who would come out victorious. Usually it was a draw, seeing that both shared the thickheaded trait.

Alice shivered and stepped closer to the hearth, seeking warmth from the crackling inferno that seemed to lick the woods ravenously.

It was oddly chill for summer.

"You, sister dear, clearly know nothing of the male mind," Edward growled. "If only you could smell the boy –"

"You're being ludicrous," Alice snapped. "Now you're claiming to 'smell boys' like as if they each come with their own personalized fragrance!'

"He was aroused!" He snapped. "The little twerp was secreting enough pheromones to drench up the whole god damn place!"

"He was only seven years old, Edward! You know sexual maturity doesn't occur until at least the twelfth summer –"

"I'm not completely soft in the head, Alice, I think I've been around long enough to be able to accurately sense male arousal." He grimaced. "Especially in recent times, what with our shortage of females the men are starting to wander."

Alice's face scrunched up in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," he answered, a bit too quickly.

"Edward…"

"It's none of your concern." He shuffled his paper together and proceeded to separate it into two stacks.

"Everything to do with the security of our race is of my concern!" she snapped, abandoning the fire as she stomped over to his desk.

"I'd rather not."

"Edward…!"

He sighed. "Now look, Alice, if you really want to know I suggest you ask your mate. It's his job to educate you on the whimsy's of men."

"Whimsy's? Where the hell do you get these words?"

"Whimsy happens to be a very hip word –"

"Yea, probably for like five minutes back in the dark ages."

He smirked. "You forget that I am a Renaissance man of many ages."

"Oh God," Alice groaned, putting her face in her hands. "Is it possible for you _not _to stroke your ego every time we have a conversation?"

"It's possible."

She looked up as if expecting something.

"What is it Alice?" He gave her a puzzled look.

"And?"

"And what?"

"That's all you have to say? 'It's possible.'"

Edward sighed again, opening up his laptop. "It seems that nothing I say can ever satisfy you. Go on then, you do the talking. I'm afraid I might offend."

She huffed and, turning around, walked towards the chair closest to the fire. Sitting down, she stared at her brother in contemplation, letting the "tap tap" of his keyboard ease her into her next question.

"What are you going to do about Bella?"

Edward didn't look up from his computer screen as he answered. "What exactly are you trying to get at?"

If she could punch him, she would. Too bad the bloody idiot was three times faster than her.

"You know what I mean, Edward. What are you going to do _about Bella?_" She was not going to let him change topics again.

"I haven't the faintest idea."

"Stop trying to get a rile out of me, it only works once before it gets old." She snapped, pulling up her legs and holding it close to her body to shield out the cold.

It had been two weeks since the fourth of July get together, and still Edward hadn't budged from the 'overprotectiveness alpha male' mode that he had adopted since Bella had been approached by Alec.

In fact, the poor child had been locked up in her room since the gathering. Given, the room was spacious and had everything a child of her age could want – from unlimited toys, videos, and whatnot – but what Bella _really_ needed was companionship.

"She's fine." Her brother answered curtly.

"You must be joking." She said, astonished. "Either your definition of 'fine' is seriously twisted or you're just being an asshole."

"I'll take asshole. Can you blame me for wanting to protect my mate?"

Alice wrinkled her nose. "As I have repeatedly stated, _everyone knows_ that she's your mate. You've already made that quite clear."

Every Vampire within a 50mile radius could sense it.

"Evidently not enough, that moron managed to make it through." His pressed his pen a bit too harshly and managed to break it cleanly in half.

"Stop being jealous of the boy, it was a simple mistake."

"He was seven, at that age he should have been educated on the interactions of men and women."

"Kids these days are different from those of our generation."

"Yes, well, biology doesn't change. That boy wanted her."

"I still think you're over exaggerating."

He sighed, reaching a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Because we have been down this road many, _many_ times before and because I know you're as stubborn as a mule, I am willing to compromise. Tell me, Alice, _tell me your great plan_."

"Oh please Edward, stop being so dramatic!" she scolded playfully, "but I guess compromising is already considered a 'huge leap' for you so I'll take what I can get."

"Fine, whatever. Anything to shut you up."

She ignored his comment and continued. "During the hours you are busy, including conferences, Bella has permission to be out of your sight."

"Define 'out of your sight.'"

"Away from you. Away from your supervision. Without Edward-surveillance. In a place where she doesn't have you breathing down your neck. In a place she's allowed to be normal –"

"Ahem, I thought you were trying to _persuad_e me to let Bella socialize, not _dissuade_ me."

"Since when does compromise equal persuade?"

"Being my sister, I thought you'd understand that compromising with me is quite different from compromising with, oh, I don't know…Jasper." He smirked at her, clearly pleased with his reasoning.

But Alice didn't back down. How dare he think he could pull the 'older-brother' trump card on her? Two can play it that way.

"Yes, well…" she said innocently, "with Jasper all I'd have to do is sex him up and bit and he's putty in my hands. Or shall I say his balls are –"

"Alright, alright!" he yelped. "Fine, you get her only when I'm busy."

"Great!" she chirped, clearly satisfied that she won this battle.

"But she must remain with either you, Rosalie, or Esme."

"Sounds good!" she quickly sang, dancing over to the door.

"I want you to teach her lady things, nothing inappropriate –"

"Oh god," Alice groaned, as she opened up the door. "Would you give it a rest? I understand!"

And with that, she slammed the door shut, leaving Edward alone to sit and think about what the hell had he just agreed to.

* * *

_Knock knock knock_.

Edward stopped his typing with a sigh.

"Goddamit, Alice, if you bother me _one more time_ I'll change my mind and let no one see – oh, Carlisle, come in."

"Am I bothering you?" The older gentlemen asked, glancing at the paper-strewn desk.

"Not at all," Edward lied, pushing aside his papers and closing his laptop. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm here to go over the Defense plans."

Edward groaned inwardly; he had completely forgotten about the weekly Defense meetings. Where had his mind gone lately? Usually he was on top and ahead of everything, yet for the past week he's been struggling to even keep up with the regular workload.

Every Wednesday night, Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmet would meet with him to go over their defense tactics and to also go over any updates they had about the Undeads.

The women weren't present because they would meet up with him tomorrow night to discuss details concerning the coven, including financial needs as well as the health and progress of their people.

Edward made sure that his close family members were well informed of every decision made, though. The men would relay their meeting to their mates, and vice versa.

"Where's Emmet and Jasper?" Edward asked, glancing at the clock. Five after nine.

"Emmet should be here soon, and I have no idea where Jasper is." Carlisle answered, his eyes darting towards the door, then back to Edward in a nervous manner unlike his usual self.

"I guess we'll give them a couple more minutes." Edward replied, noticing as, again, Carlisle's eyes darted back to the door, and then towards him.

"Is there something else you wanted to discuss with me?" he asked his friend encouragingly, "Something you want to keep between us?"

"I…" Carlisle faltered, unsure of what to say. "I'm not quite sure how to approach this."

"However you feel comfortable," Edward replied, gesturing with his hands. "You know I'm not one to judge."

"I know that, but this topic is…well, it's Bella."

Edward's eyes cooled. "What about Bella?"

Seeing the change in his leader's demeanor, Carlisle quickly started to amend his words. "Nothing bad, Edward. Just – where exactly does she come from? You haven't exactly been vocal about her background."

A moment of silence, that seemed to have stretched on, lingered for what seemed like forever before Edward replied quietly.

"I'm not exactly sure."

"What?" Carlisle looked flabbergasted. "She didn't tell you? But you seem so close –"

"It's not that," Edward explained, "believe me, I've asked and prodded, but she just doesn't seem to remember."

Being the doctor that he is, Carlisle approached the topic logically. "But she doesn't show any symptoms of being traumatized. She's not mentally disturbed or shocked or anything of that nature."

Edward leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes momentarily. "I'm not exactly sure why she doesn't remember, even two year olds can recall information, but with Bella it's not that she's mentally incapacitated or anything of that sort, rather her mind is completely blank of any past events. It's like her life started the night I brought her back."

His friend remained silent.

"Suppressed memories?" Edward offered.

"Hmm," Carlisle wondered, "might possibly be that, but until she's exposed to something that will trigger her memory, we'll never know."

"Well let's hope that never happens," Edward concluded. "If she doesn't remember now, it's probably too traumatic for her to recall."

"On another note, Edward, you must remember to remain calm." Carlisle advised, referring to the July 4th incident. "I know you've found your mate, but you still can't control that demon until you mate with her."

"I've waited over a hundred years, I can wait a couple more."

"Yes, but this time you'll have your mate walking around, completely innocent to the fact that every fiber in your being is drawn to her."

It was true. At all times of the day, no matter where he was, Edward kept constant vigilance of Bella. It was like as if that day she stepped into his arms, a thread had formed connecting him indefinitely to his young mate.

The door suddenly opened with a bang, signaling the entrance of the two missing members of the meeting.

"Sorry I'm late," Emmet huffed, "Rose had me running laps around the whole community, doing odd end stuff."

"Same," Jasper said, "but with Alice holding the whip."

Edward and Carlisle chuckled. "It's fine," Edward said, "but we have to finish by ten, Bella's expecting me."

"Looks like Rose and Alice aren't the only ones wearing the pants," Emmet muttered to the others, to which he received a glare from his older brother.

"Our men are training every day," Jasper quickly interjected. "I've been drilling them from sun up until well into the evening, and they do it all without any complaints."

"Good," Edward nodded. "Are they fully aware of what's happening?"

"Yes," Emmet stepped forward, handing Edward the folder he was holding. "I received several reports from my men yesterday and they said that the Undead numbers were still rising, but slower than it had been in the previous weeks."

"What does that mean?" Carlisle asked, eyebrows furrowed. "Are they running out of resources?"

Edward shook his head, "Not necessarily, there could be a number of reasons for this decrease in activity."

"But it could be because they're running out of resources and have resorted to killing each other?" the doctor pressed, eyes hopeful.

"If the odds were in our favor, then yes that could be why." Edward answered. "But there isn't a reason for why they aren't making more Undeads. It's not like we've attacked, and there hasn't been any reports from the other covens of planned attacks."

"Besides, if anyone tried to attack they'd have to go through us," Jasper replied as he walked towards the alcohol cabinet. He asked the other men if they wanted any before pouring a glass for himself.

"We own these lands," Jasper continued, "We're the only coven around these areas. The Undead are clearly within our restrictions."

"Then what exactly are they doing?" Emmet asked impatiently, "I say we just go in there and kill them all."

"That's irrational," Carlisle said grimly. "They're incredibly strong and outnumber us by the hundreds. It'd be like asking our men to enter a suicide mission."

"Well what else can we do?" Emmet asked, pacing back and forth. When his question was met with silence, he stilled and turned towards Edward.

"Well?" he asked again, this time pressing for an answer.

The room remained silent as all three men looked at their leader, waiting for directions. It was rare to see Edward without advice, as he always knew what to do.

But lately, nothing has been going Edward's way, it seems. And it might or might not have anything to do with his mate.

Edward sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We wait."

.

.

.

Every day Edward's love for Bella grew, despite him thinking that he couldn't possibly have any more to give to her, for she had irrevocably, and unconsciously, stolen his heart from their very first meeting. As for Bella, her past was never mentioned – either because she had forgotten them from the moment Edward wrapped his secure arms around her, or because they were not matters of importance – her life begun the moment Edward entered into life.

She devoted herself to him completely, a constant presence at his side. No matter where Edward was, Bella was always there, holding onto his hand or the sleeve of his jacket, dutifully tagging along. She was his life now, his only reason for living, and Edward basked in every minute of it. His greatest fear was to miss any important milestone in her life – from her first loose tooth, to teaching her how to ride a bike – and as such, he guarded over her vigilantly, making no excuse to leave her side.

Despite the fact that Edward and the members of his coven remained forever youthful in appearance, frozen for eternity in time, the same exception did not occur for little Bella.

Time, it seemed, passed all too quickly in the years following his discovery of his young mate and as the days turned into months, and eventually years, Bella outgrew her childhood.

As it often did for the centuries old Vampire, in what seemed like one happy moment, the years flew by. One moment she was a rosy-cheeked five-year-old, bouncing around the estate gaily as she avoided her bath. In a flash she became seven, eating her popsicle eagerly as he pushed her swing higher and higher into the air…Now she was nine, her brown, lustrous locks a puddle in his lap as she swung her legs to and fro as it dangled from the side of the sofa, reading to him from one of her favorite books.

Faster and faster the years came and went, and before Edward knew it, his mate – who he once regarded and cared for like his very own daughter – grew slender and more lovely with each passing day.

_Too beautiful_, Edward thought possessively as he noticed how distracted one of his business partners had gotten when Bella walked in to bring them some tea.

Before his very eyes, his little sparrow had turned into a swan.

.

.

.

* * *

***waves meekly***

ummm…hello? *dodges rotten fruit as she cowers under a rock*

I'M SORRY OKAY! I'M SORRY!

I know I promised a chapter soon, and I know this update has been long and coming but please find it in your hearts to forgive me! I'm wrapping up my final two years of Uni and things are, to say the least, extremely hectic. MCATS, applications, interviews…I'm preparing for med school bitches! ^_^

And I also apologize profusely for the lack of…err, _action_, in this chapter. Especially between bella & edward *winks* I had a hard time with this one just because it was a transition one (which I'm terrible at, which is not to say that any of my other chapters are fantastic but…err, yea). I'm not an English/writing/[insert any form of literature] major so please give me a break! I write for fun and that's about all I can say (:

It's still summer, and I'm on a writing spree. See you next week!

Also, muchos thanks to all those who reviewed! Please stay with me!


	4. An oddity

**BELLA**

**

* * *

**Some might say that I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

In the eyes of the public I have a wonderful family, a wonderful life, and a wonderful…_Edward_.

I'm not exactly sure what to make of him.

Father?

_No, fathers definitely don't cuddle with their daughters like we do. _

Brother?

_Nor do brothers make out with their sisters._

Friend?

_Friends don't share beds. At least most friends don't__**. **_

If I had to categorize our relationship, I'd say we're a bit of everything.

When I was young, he was a father. He changed me, bathed me, took care of me. He bought me toys and watched silly kid shows with me while I made him dress up and play tea party. He made me eat my vegetables and taught me how to count. He read to me, he loved me.

When I became a little bit older, he was a brother. He took me to the theater, he rolled his eyes at my obsession with dresses and girly things and he took me to the state fair. We laughed over corn-dogs and cotton candy. He taught me how to drive, and he loved me.

And now? Now he's a friend. A friend who gave me my first kiss yesterday evening.

Just thinking about it makes my face go hot. It wasn't one of those lust-filled, bosom heaving tongue-fucks that I often read about in my novels, just an innocent, closed-mouth kiss.

No wait, it definitely wasn't anything innocent.

Nothing was innocent where Edward was concerned.

"My father's getting frustrated," Angela sighed, pushing up her glasses. "He was the fourth suitor this month and yet I felt nothing. But what am I suppose to do? You can't just force these things!"

Angela was my age. I met her when I was seven, even though we live in the same community. The community was fairly large, situated in private land owned by Edward. We were surrounded by towering, old oaks that grew for acres – you couldn't find us if you tried. Edward always went elsewhere to conduct business with the humans; he liked his privacy.

I nodded in sympathy at her plight, trying my best to understand. Angela was one of fifteen available females this mating cycle, and as such she was considered a hot commodity. At eighteen she had finally reached the age considered suitable for mating.

And boy were the males happy. It's only the second week of the month and already she's had to meet with eight potentials – all of them not compatible, of course, which explains her current situation.

As the parent of a female, her father had his work cut out for him. Tremendous pressure was placed on his shoulders to find her a mate and to quell the anxiety of the community. We were a dying breed, and we all knew.

"You didn't feel anything with anyone?" I asked from where I laid on her bed. It was in the middle of summer, and as such it was dang hot. We had opened up the window to let the breeze in but it wasn't doing anything for me.

"Mind if I strip?" I asked Angela, who shook her head no. I took off my shirt and stretched my arms. I forgot to do laundry the other day so all I had left was the lace bra Alice had bought back for me from one of her trips to the city.

"Oooh," Angela teased, "someone's expecting someone."

"Please," I tossed back, rolling my eyes.

I tried not to think about what happened yesterday, but by trying to not think about it, I ended up thinking about it anyways.

Damn my easily flushable skin.

"You're as red as my mother's ripe tomatoes!" she accused, jumping up from the chair. "Something happened!"

"No!" I replied a bit too quickly.

"Liar."

"Nothing happened, it's not like that."

"Then what is it like?"

"We're friends."

"Friends don't see friends naked."

"I was five."

"Irrelevant!"

"You see, that's where you're wrong because it's _totally_ relevant."

"Ah, so you want him to see you naked now!" she squealed loudly, jumping up on the bed to join me. I quickly pulled myself up into a sitting position to avoid being elbowed in the face.

"What?" I balked, backing away from her knowing grin.

"You," She pointed at me, "want to see our dear leader _sans_ pants!"

I have no idea how she arrived at that conclusion.

"Shhh!" I quickly covered her mouth, perking my ears to hear if anyone was listening.

Vampires were known for their good hearing. They were fast, nimble creatures who had no known enemies.

Okay, maybe one known enemy – but we don't talk about _them_.

I wasn't a vampire, that I knew since I was young. It's hard not to overhear people talking when you live with the master of the whole place. Especially when that master made it perfectly clear that I was "off limits" to everyone.

For a while I was known as the "Porcelain Princess," named so because I rarely was allowed outside to visit the community. Barely anyone saw me unless I was accompanied by either Edward or at least two bodyguards, so it was no surprise that they all thought I was a fragile little thing.

Thank God for Alice. It was she who had finally managed to convince Edward to let me venture out and meet the community. I was officially introduced to the coven when I was seven, when I had first met Angela.

At first many people were mystified by me – I wasn't one of them, that was obvious but I also wasn't human. I didn't shimmer or thirst for blood like all of them, but I did possess their agility. I was fast, sometimes even faster than them and I had ears that could hear for miles around. My hearing was unparalleled, even by Edward who was the oldest and strongest of them all.

I was odd.

But as the years passed the people grew to accept me. Edward also learned to ease up a bit, and when I turned fifteen I was allowed to venture around the compounds without supervision. I still had a curfew though, which sucked bullocks.

"Let's not talk about me," I told her, smiling softly. "You didn't answer my question."

Good, distract her from the topic Bella.

_But who will distract you?_

Irrelevant.

"Oh right I almost forgot!" she gasped, reverting back to a bundle of nerves. "I've already met over thirty suitors, and I haven't found anyone!"

Since our coven was the largest in the Americas, it was often visited by other covens. The European coven's number rivaled ours too, but they were known for their shortages in females.

"It'll be okay, you still have time."

"I can't handle this Bella, I really cant." She started to cry. "I don't want to be forced to marry someone I don't love, even if we're 'meant to be.' How can they expect me to just mate and bear children? What kind of a life is that?"

Angela was stuck in a difficult place – neither of her options looked good. If she didn't find anyone, the stress would accumulate and she'd be forced to continue meeting suitors. If she did meet someone, she'd have to settle down quickly and start producing offspring.

It was times like this where I was glad I was _not_ a Vampire. I didn't have to deal with all that mating business.

_But you're also alone_. _You have no mate. _

I have Edward.

_For now, but he'll find his mate eventually and then…_

I'll be alone.

Not human, not Vampire. I was an oddity in this world of black and white.

"Don't worry," I patted her back awkwardly, "It'll all work out. Trust me."

I wasn't sure why I said that, but it felt like the right thing to do.

"Thanks Bella," she sniffed. "I wish you could spend the night, I really don't want to be alone."

I couldn't, I wasn't allowed.

"You know I would if I could." I always told her the same thing, because it was true. I was expected to be home by dinner, which I just now realize started fifteen minutes ago.

"Shoot!" I yelped, scrambling to pull my shirt on. "I'm late!"

I gave her a quick hug before climbing over the window sill. "I'll see you later, okay?"

And with that I jumped down to the ground before making a mad dash back to the manor.

Edward's going to be _pissed_!

* * *

"You're late." Mary whispered as she opened the backdoor for me, gesturing to me to be quiet.

"I know," I whispered back, placing my muddy boots at the door.

"He's mad." She pushed me towards the dining room, straightening my clothes as she did so.

"I _know_," I nodded towards the stairs. "Let me wash up –"

"No time for that, you're already late as it is. We can't keep him waiting any longer!"

"He already knows I'm here, so what's the big rush?"

"The 'big rush' is because he'll be even more pissed when he realizes you wasted even _more_ time arguing with me, now get in there!" she shoved me towards the door.

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit.

I didn't see Edward this morning.

Well, technically I _did_ see him because we slept in the same bed but I had woken up extra early to avoid talking to him.

Which was hard, considering Edward woke up at the crack of dawn.

Whenever he goes on business trips he adheres strictly to the "sleep during the day, wake during the night" schedule in order to avoid any questions but at home, he was "human."

Or so he liked to call it. In my opinion, Edward was anything _but_ human.

Adonis was more like it. A cynical, possessive deity all wrapped up into a brick-cold form.

Edward didn't like his schedules to be messed with, especially when it came to us. Our morning rituals usually consisted of having breakfast together (sometimes alone, sometimes with the family) and then a quick jog around the vicinity. Only a few people were up during this time and it was one of the few moments he could relax and let his guard down.

Afterward he would go to his office to get some work done while I could do whatever I want.

Well, not _whatever_ I want but you get the point.

So needless to say, me skipping out on our ritual without even saying good morning probably pissed him off like no one's business.

And an angry Edward, was a scary Edward.

"Go!" Mary hissed, shooing me away.

Mary was an unmated female. She had tried courting for several years but gave up after it ended up fruitless. Not wanting to be a burden on her parents, she asked to live in the manor and help out in the kitchen.

She wasn't mean, but she took her job seriously. She took it hard that she wasn't able to help out her people, so the least she could do was "care for our dear leader," as she so reverently puts it.

I took a huge breath, trying to get my bearings straight.

Here goes nothing: I pushed open the wide double-set doors.

The dining room was empty, but the table was laden with food. Even though it was summer, a bright crackling fire had been lit.

No one else was here; there were no signs of Alice or the usual gang.

I guess he wants to eat alone tonight – _perfect_.

I snuck a quick glance around the room before stepping foot in and closing the doors behind me.

The clock chimed loudly as seven o'clock came about – shit, I was now _thirty _minutes late.

Still no sign of Edward.

_He's probably mad_.

Yea, probably.

_He's probably so mad he can't even stand the site of you_.

Oh please let that be so. But the thought of Edward being mad at me didn't sit so well for some reason.

_Give him a couple of days, that's all he needs. _

Yea, Edward can't hate me. If there's one thing I know about him, I know that he loves me. Now whether he loves me as a father, brother, friend, or lover is still yet to be determined.

_We all know you want him to love you as a lover…_

Oh god shut up.

_You should have shut up last night when his lips – _

SHUT UP!

"Isabella."

I squeaked loudly and promptly knocked over a chair as I turned towards the dark corner of the room.

My heart was beating a mile a minute as I watched him walk smoothly out of the shadows.

He was dressed in all black, as usual but today there was something sinister about his outfit of choice. Maybe it was because I was already paranoid, but his silk shirt and loose slacks did nothing to cover up the anger that was radiating from him.

I accidentally looked up and caught his eye. He was staring at me intensely as he stalked towards me; I didn't even realize that I was backing up towards the wall.

"Edward," I managed to muster out.

"Do you realize how worried I was this morning?"

His voice was soft, but very clear. It held a strange edge as he continued to walk me backwards until I felt the wall.

"I –"

"You left without telling me."

"I know –"

He was now right in front of me.

"I had to get a call from Mathew to know where you were."

"I know but –"

We were nose to nose.

"You _know_ how I feel about not knowing where you are."

"Edward, listen to me –"

"No, Isabella, you listen to me!" We were both breathing heavily as we held each others stare. Me from slight fear mixed with frustration, him from rage. I fought the urge to look away as he glared down at me.

I was trapped. He had his hands on both sides of me, caging me in. I felt the urge to run as every fiber in my body realized that in nature, he was the predator and I was the prey. My body screamed for me to get away, and yet something inside me kept me standing still. I was drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. Even though I realized that he could crush me easily with his bare hands, I also knew that he would never hurt me.

After what seemed like an eternity, he dropped his hands with a deep sigh as he leaned into me. I wasn't sure whether to put my hands around him or not, so I opted to leave it at my sides.

"Why do you always defy me?" he whispered against my neck. The feel of his hot breath sent a weird sensation through my body as I fought the urge to close my eyes.

I didn't know if I liked it or not.

I also didn't know what to say.

"Why, Isabella?" he urged on, nuzzling my neck slowly. "Why do you constantly have to do such reckless, dangerous things…"

Holy hell was that tongue?

"I was about to tear the whole place down to look for you, thinking someone had kidnapped you and berating myself for being so stupid…"

I was panting now, of that I'm sure. Thank god he had me tightly trapped against the wall because I wasn't sure if I was able to stand on my own two feet at the moment.

And then, we were kissing again.

Except this time there was tongue.

.

.

.

* * *

**AN:**

**I know it's been a long time and for that I apologize :( The usual things got in the way and I just couldn't find time to write. But I'm trying :)**

**I was finding it a bit difficult to write in third person (or whatever the heck I had going on in the last few chapters) so I'm going to switch it up a bit with first person POV. Mostly Bella, but a few Edwards thrown in there. **

**Please tell me what you think! Do you like possessive Edward, or do you like a more easy going one?**

**I'll tell you what I think with the next update. **

**Cheers, **

**CIvy  
**


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